Fastener for umbrella-covers.



No. 629,54l. Patented July 25, I899.

G. M. BROWN-WESTHEAIJ.

FASTENER FOR UMBRELLA COVERS.

(Application filed Mar 31, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Invanlor;-'

N0. 629,54l. Patented July 25, I899. G. M. BROWN-WESTHEAD.

FASTENER FOB UMBRELLA COVERS.

A Ticaeion filed. mm. 31, 1898.)

(-No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF I E.

GEORGE MONTAGU BROWVN-IVESTHEAD, OF COLWVYN BAY, ENGLAND.

FAST ENER FOR UMBRELLA-COVERS.

' SJPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,541, dated July 25, 1899.

Application filed March 31, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, GEORGE MONTAGU ,BROWN-l/VESTHEAD, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residingat Colwyn Bay, Eugland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Band-Fasteners for Umbrellas and Parasols, of which the following is a specification.

- In order that my invention may be the more readily understood, I remark that when an umbrella is closed the folds of the silk or fabric of the cover are generally folded or wrapped around the frame and heldin position by a band of fabric or elastic. The said band has at one end a button and at the other a ring of somewhat larger diameter than the button. The button and the end of the band to which it is attached are sewed to the silk or covering fabric near the edge of the cover. The said band is somewhat shorter than the circumference of the folded umbrella, and the ring end requires to be pulled tightly in order to engage the ring on thebutton and to disengage it therefrom. This pulling of the band sooner or later results in the tearing of the band from the covering material. Further, where an inelastic band is employed there is a slackness of half the diameter of the button after the ring has been passed over the said button. The objection to elastic bands is that they sooner or later lose their elasticity and stretch to such an extent as in a short time to become useless or practically useless for the purpose for which ence of the folded umbrella.

they are used.

My invention has for its object to remedy. the defect referred to and to produce a bandfastener which may be put around the folded umbrella without tension, and consequently Without the strain on the covering material hereinbefore referred to, the required tightening of the band being effected after the band has been placed in position.

In carrying my invention into effect I take a band of flexible but inelastic fabric of a length somewhat greater than the circumfer- I pass the said band through a light metallic loop or frame carrying a button. To one end of the band I attach a second light metallic loop capable of being passedover and engaged with the button of the first-named light metallic loop Serial No. 675,952. (No model.)

or frame, and to theother end of the band I affiX a light triple-barred metallic frame, the band before the attaching thereto of theloop I describedbeing engaged with the said frame The slack band is now tightened by plac ng the thumb of one hand on the button and with the other hand drawing the triple-barredframe away from the frame carrying the button. that is, in the direction of the folds of the umbrella-when the band is tightened to the required degree. In order to unfaslenthe band the triple-barred frame is drawn toward the I buttonthat is, in a direction opposed to the folds of the umbrella-When the band is immediately slackened and the metallic loop can be readily disengaged from the button. A tab is attached to the triple-barred frame and to the light metallic loop, which engages with the button to facilitate .the tightening of the loop above described.

Figure l of the accompanyingdrawings represents in elevation a portion of an umbrella, drawn to a large scale, to which a band-fastener made according to my'invention is applied, the said band being unfasten'ed. Fig. 2 represents the same after the fastening of the band, and Fig. 3 is a section on the line mm, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the bandfastener detached from the umbrella, and Fig. 5 is a section of the same on the line y y, Fig. t. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 'represent the metallic portions of the fastener separately.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the draw ings.

a is the band, preferably of silk, to one end of which the outer barb of the flat triple-- barred frame I) 17 b Fig. 6, is attached, the said end of the silk being doubled or folded upon itself and extending slightly beyond the bar 6', so as to form a tab a. The other end if the silk is passed first over and under the outer bar 0 of the button-carrying angular frame 0 c 0 Fig. 7, then under the bar I) of the fiat triple-barred frame 6 5 b over the middle bar I), and under the other outer Zrof the said flat triple-barred frame, as will be best understood by reference to Figs. 3 and 5. The said end of the band a is then doubled upon itself, so as to form a second-tab a and is attached to the straight bar d of the buttonengaging metallic loop cl'd Fig. 8. The bar of the button-carrying frame 0 c c is attached by sewing to the coverof the umbrella at the place where the button of the ordinary band-fastener is sewed. In the normal or unfastened state of the band-fastener the band a is of a length somewhat greater than the circumference of that part of the rolled or wrapped up umbrella around which it is to be passed, and the triple-barred frame b b b occupies a position adjacent to the buttoncarrying frame 0' c 0 as is illustrated in Fig. 1.

The band-fastener is used as follows: The umbrella having been rolled or wrapped up, the band a is passed around the umbrella and the bowed part (1 of the button-engaging loop (1 d is passed over the button c of the bar a of the button-carrying frame 0' 0 a The tab at being held by the thumb and fin: ger of one hand, or the thumb being placed on the button 0, the other tab a is drawn by the thumb and finger of the other hand, so as to draw the triple-barred frame I) b b from the button-carrying frame 0 c c and thereby double a portion of the band and effect the virtual shortening of the length of the band a and cause the same to grip the umbrella. The unfastening of the band is cf,-

fected by a reversal of the operations described forefiecting its fastening.

From the above description it will be understood that in using the said new or improved band-fastener there is no strain put upon the connection of the button with the fabric of the cover, and the danger of tearing the button from the said fabric is thereby obviated. Further,the slack necessary to permit of the button-engaging loop passing over the button being adjustable there is no necessity for the use of elastic bands, the objection to which has been hereinbefore pointed out.

Although I have only described my invention in connection with an umbrella, yet it is equally applicable to a parasol.

It is deemed important that the button-carrying frame be angular, as shown, instead of fiat, so that when the tab 0, is pulled upon there will not be any material resistance offered to nor stoppage of the motion of the under part of the double portion of the band,

and thus wear on the band and cover of the umbrella is obviated. This feature of construction is specially important in connection with the other elements of the device in that it insures proper working of the fastener.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An umbrella-fastener having an angular frame composed of a straight central bar and two parallel outer bars one of which has a central button mounted on said bar by a shank, the two ends of each outer bar being turned or bent at a right angle to the body portion and rigidly united to the ends of the central bar at a right angle to the corresponding ends of the other outer bar, a flat frame having three straight, parallel bars in the same plane, a button-loop having two bars, one of which has a central outwardly-bowed port-ion to engage the button on the angular frame and a flexible, inelastic hand one end of which is attached to the straight bar of the button-loop, the other end being drawn beneath the two outer bars and overthe central bar of the flat frame and then under and over the outer bar of the angular frame opposite the button-carrying bar thence hack to and beneath the adjacent outer bar of the fiat frame, and over said bar, the end of the band being secured to the outer face of the same between said bar and the angular frame which is attached to the umbrella-cover by its outer button-carrying bar, substantially as described. i

2. An umbrella-fastening device consisting of the angular button-carrying frame having under bar to be attached to the umbrella, an upper bar around which the band is to be passed, and a button on substantially the same plane as the said. upper bar, a band of flexible inelastic material passed around said upper bar, a triple-barred flat frame attached to one end of said band, the otherend of the band being passed around the center bar and under the other two, and a loop attached to the other end of the said band and having a bend to engage the button portion of the hutton-carrying frame, substantially as shown and described.

. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE MONTAGU BROWN-WES'IIIEAI).

itnesses:

RICHARD SKERRETT, ARTHUR JOHN POWELL. 

